Birth weight in high risk and normal pregnancy: a comparative study

Objective. High-risk pregnancy (HRP) is characterized as a complex pregnancy when one or more factors have a negative impact on the pregnancy outcome. This study aimed to find out the impact of high-risk pregnancy on the birth weight. Materials and Methods. A comparative case-control study was conducted between 1 st September to 1 st December on 250 pregnant women giving birth at Kirkuk city hospitals. A case group of 125 cases (high-risk pregnancies) and a control group of 125 cases (normal pregnancies) were allocated. Results. The study found that there was a significant association between chronic hypertension(p=0.030), pre-eclampsia (p=0.013), GDM(p=<0.001), placenta accreta(p=0.028), and anemia(P=0.033) and the weight of the newborn. About 8.0% of the women with high-risk pregnancies have had low birth weights, whereas 4.0% reported high birth weights. Compared to 0.8% of the women with normal pregnancies having low birth weight and (1.6%) having a high birth weight. Also, the findings revealed a high association between the weight of neonates born to women who had High-risk pregnancies in comparison to those who were born to women who had normal pregnancies at ( P =<0.001). Conclusions